Entries are now being invited for Scottish Wholesale Achievers 2019, the much-lauded industry initiative created by the Scottish Wholesale Association.

Scottish Wholesale Achievers aims to raise standards and reward outstanding performance across the trade in Scotland. Any wholesaler with a depot in Scotland may enter the competition.

Categories for 2019 are:

Champion of Champions

This is the ultimate accolade – the best in class – with the winner of this prestigious award the wholesaler that has demonstrated that it is at the top of its game and is outstanding within the Scottish wholesale industry.

The judges will be looking for the wholesaler that is an innovator; that has a positive approach to doing business for the mutual benefit of its customers and suppliers; and that is setting the gold standard that others follow.

In a change of competition criteria for 2019, this award will go to the wholesaler that scores highest in an individual category rather than a wholesaler that does well across various categories.

Best Cash & Carry

Are you the best in what is a very competitive and prestigious category? Does your depot clearly communicate your company’s vision, mission and values to the customer? Is your management team always available to customers? Is your depot maintained to a high standard with ease of shop at the forefront of the customer strategy? Are your customers satisfied with your range and availability? Has your depot made improvements in the last year?

Best Delivered Operation – Retail

This award is open to any wholesaler delivering to the retail sector and recognises the best retail wholesalers delivering solutions, ideas and support to their end-user customers.

Best Symbol Group

Does your symbol group take a longer-term strategic approach to the way it does business? Are you responsive to customers’ product needs? Do you have a structured sales/support team that provides high-quality support to your symbol group retailers? Do you drive demand by effective customer-focused marketing, promotions and advertising within the symbol group? 

Best Delivered Operation – Foodservice

This award is open to any wholesaler delivering to foodservice operators and recognises the best foodservice wholesalers delivering solutions, ideas and support to their end-user customers. The judges will be looking at how wholesalers are helping their operators understand legislation, menu planning, excellent service and doing things differently.

Employee of the Year

Do you have an employee who goes the extra mile to identify business opportunities and constantly looks to drive their self-development? Employee of the Year offers a great opportunity to reward their achievements. Please nominate one employee only (this should not be Depot/General Manager).

Best Marketing Initiative

This category is open to any wholesaler that has developed and implemented an initiative within the Scottish marketplace in the last 12 months. Submissions must be fact-based and supported by the rationale behind the initiative along with the outcomes. Entrants will be required to present to the panel of judges around mid-November 2018.

Great Place to Work

This award is open to any cash & carry or delivered wholesaler that makes its employees feel valued at work through opportunities, working practices, equality and camaraderie.

Best Licensed Wholesaler

This category is open to any wholesaler that delivers to the on-trade or off-trade, or is purely cash & carry selling to licensees. We are looking for the company that has clear strategies and promotions that are targeted at the customers it services – a company that supports those customers to drive sales through their business, and clearly communicates and collaborates with the suppliers it works with.

 

Supplier Awards

Best Overall Service

SWA member wholesalers nominate their top 20 suppliers based on deliveries (including admin support), wholesaler support and channel/customer support. Over a four-month period, the wholesalers vote on the performance of these suppliers using the same criteria applied to the nominations. Each month, the suppliers in contention are sent a full breakdown on their scores. This allows them to identify their strengths and weaknesses and thereby enhance their service to the wholesale trade.

Project Scotland

This award is designed to recognise and reward the efforts of suppliers’ sales people in Scotland in building relationships with wholesalers through relevant initiatives. The project can focus on a single wholesaler or multiple wholesalers throughout Scotland or in one geographical area and it can run for any period during 2018, ranging from a couple of weeks to all year.

The project does not have to run exclusively in Scotland. It can be a UK-wide initiative; if it is, the judges will be looking for Scottish-specific results and perhaps tailor-made Scottish support. Wholesalers and suppliers can send in nominations for this award. Entrants will be invited to meet a judging panel of senior wholesale executives to discuss their initiative.

Best Advertising Campaign

SWA member wholesalers nominate their favourite advertising campaign of 2018. This can be a TV, cinema, press, poster, online or outdoor advertising campaign but it must feature a product or service sold or used in the Scottish wholesale trade. Stills of the shortlisted adverts are sent to wholesalers to prompt awareness, and they then take a final vote.

Supplier Sales Executive of the Year

SWA member wholesalers nominate a sales executive who deserves special recognition for developing the business of his/her wholesaler customers in Scotland. It is not open to those who manage a sales team. A panel of experienced independent adjudicators scrutinises the judging process to ensure total transparency and an unbiased approach at all times.

Kate Salmon, executive director of the Scottish Wholesale Association, said: “Every year we see extremely high levels of innovation from Scotland’s wholesalers and a commitment to customer service that is outstanding.

“Achievers is helps wholesalers focus on their strengths and areas they want to develop. Similarly, it helps the supporting suppliers forge stronger relationships with the industry because being involved in the judging process allows them to really understand the many diverse wholesale businesses that operate in Scotland.

“All of our winners are doing quite remarkable things to grow and develop their businesses, often taking risks but always embracing the partnership ethos that Achievers promotes. Achievers encourages best practice within Scottish wholesaling and challenges wholesalers – big and small – to think differently and engage more effectively with suppliers.

“That’s why the initiative goes from strength to strength every year and why I would encourage all members and non-members to get involved.”

Nearly 500 people will attend the gala dinner and awards presentation at the Sheraton Grand, Edinburgh on Thursday, 31 January 2019. Tables are expected to be reserved very quickly so please book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Closing date for entries is: Friday 10 August 2018.

Please download the entry form below – further information is available from Kate Salmon or Joanne Mathieson on 0131 556 8753.